Chapter 4

Alfred POV

It was that time of year again when every pack had balls and events that required you to mingle with all the single females. That evening, we were going to the Swamp Lands. It was the pack that I had agreed to marry one of their daughters. A chosen mate is just as good as a fated one. It might break the curse, it might not. My family has been cursed for generations. My mother and father found each other and broke the curse for my father. But all his male heirs had been cursed. If we did not see our fated mates by our thirtieth birthday, we would stay in wolf form forever.

My brothers have not found their mates and are forever wolves. They are older than me. But they chose to remain mates less and become wolves. They did not want to pass the curse down to their children. I don't blame them. I needed to find my fated mate before the curse became permanent. If I could find her after breaking my curse, I could see the witch that had cursed my family and have them reverse it. I heard about the daughters of the Alpha of the Swamplands. They, too, had been cursed until they found their fated mates.

I knew each of them had their curse to break, but that did not matter to me. I was after my fated mate. If one of his daughters were my fated mate, I would bring her home with me. I knew he wanted me to marry Regina, the oldest daughter out of the four. But I wanted nothing to do with her if she was not my fated mate. But I will entertain his request. I will attend his ball and at least dance with her.

When we arrived, the clan's Alpha was returning from the forest. I could smell blood on him. Maybe he had just gone hunting. But there was a faint smell of vanilla and peaches in the air. It smelt like a dessert. I knew that most of what was served for these things were cakes, sweet breads, and cookies. Plus, there was all the wine you could drink. The only thing I was looking forward to was the wine. With any luck, I could get drunk and pass out.

But the smell of vanilla and peaches had my wolf going crazy. He was bouncing around in my head. I ignored him because it was just a fancy dessert. Everyone pulled out old family recipes for these things. Any balls that I held in my pack we catered for the event. It gave my cook a night off. My brothers, who were wolves, were allowed to have a house for themselves outside the borders of the pack. That was where they stayed mainly. Unless we needed them for a war, I could still link them, but they would never shift to human form. I felt bad for them. They chose that life. I understood why. But I did not want that for me.

I was willing to break my curse and try to find the witch who had cursed us. When I did find the witch, I was going to have them reverse the curse for me.

" Boss, we need to get going. They are already starting the music."

" I know Chris."

Chris is my beta and my best friend. We grew up together, went to the academy together, and graduated first in our class. We lost touch for a while when I went to Alpha school, but we were still the best of friends when I got back. He is my beta.

" Are you ready?"

" As ready as I will ever be."

We took our cars tonight. I chose to drive myself tonight. My thoughts kept going to Regina, my true mate. If Regina was my true mate, then I would be happy. We entered the ballroom. The scent of vanilla and peaches was getting stronger when the wind picked up. I wondered where it was coming from, but I did not have time to explore. Regina grabbed my arm. Whatever perfume she was wearing was making me sick. I held her at arm's length while we danced.

Her scent sickened me. She is not my true mate. Which I was grateful for. I could not stand it if it were. I noticed that many men in the corner surrounded the Alpha. I knew what that meant even before I went to where they were. That meant that they were under attack.

" Alpha, how can I help?"

" How many men do you have with you?"

" I have about twenty."

I had brought twenty eligible bachelors with me. They were also warriors. I knew that they would be OK, that they would not be hurt, and that they would help with the situation.

" What is going on?"

" Rogues are attacking."

That was all I needed. I wanted to explore where that scent was coming from. It was the strongest by the window. We left the ballroom and shifted to our wolves while running through the forest. The smell was getting stronger as we ran through the forest, and then, out of nowhere, a wolf attacked me. I could smell that it was a rogue. Their fur was mated and unkempt. There was a rogue pack in these forests. They were wolves that were cast out of their packs.

They had committed unforgivable crimes, and they were given the choice to be killed or become rogues. That was something that I frowned upon. I did not like kicking my pack members out, but I have. I have never regretted it. I dealt with the rogue that attacked me, and then I was five feet from a tree, and the scent of vanilla and peaches and blood hit me.

" Mate."

Leon started screaming. I ran towards the smell. There was a young girl tied to a tree. Her back was torn open, and she was bleeding profusely. We cautiously approached her. I could tell that she was near death. I immediately shifted back to human form. I pulled her hands free, and they fell to her sides, and she fell backward. I caught her before she fell. She was just a child. When I touched her, I could feel tingly through my body.

She lay her head against my chest as if she was asking me not to hurt her. There was no chance of that. Whoever did this to her was going to pay. I had a feeling that she was one of the daughters of the Alpha. But why would he do that to her? What crime has she committed so horribly that she deserved to be beaten almost to death? If she did not have alpha blood, she would probably have died. I ran straight to the hospital.

I ran into the emergency room and was greeted by a nurse.

" OMG, what has happened to Vanessa."

" She must have angered the alpha this time."

I had some questions I needed to ask that nurse. But she took her and called the doctor. I followed them into the operating room. The doctor tried to kick me out of the room, but I refused to leave. He went to work on her. Her wrist was broken, and she was bleeding to death. He got the bleeding to stop.

" Alpha Alfred, while they clean her up and move her to a room, I need to speak with you."